Helene slams Appling
Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Florida panhandle on Thursday, September 26, canceling over 1,000 flights and leading schools and government agencies to close indefinitely. This Category 4 storm originated in the western Caribbean and has totaled an estimated $20 billion in damages. The state of South Carolina and coastal Georgia were placed under a tropical storm warning, and the state of emergency status reached as far as Virginia. Helene also caused catastrophic rainfall triggered flooding, particularly in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.
Originally tracking for Tallahassee, Helene teased Category 5 status as it approached landfall in Perry, FL around 11:30 p.m. The storm claimed upwards of 120 lives and left millions without power in affected areas, with peak winds at 140 mph and lowest pressure at 938 mbar (Debby at 980 and Katrina at 902). As of September 30, over 1,000 people remain missing.
While the slow-moving Hurricane Debby brought flooding rain to Appling County at tropical storm status, much of the damage from Helene occurred from falling trees and missing tin roofs affecting farmers, businesses, and homeowners alike. The tornado warning Thursday morning proved largely inconsequential, though the rapidly intensifying Helene hit Appling directly as a high-end Category 1, meaning the most violent portion of the event happened as the eye wall passed over the county. Appling County residents received a 2:00 a.m. wake-up call of screaming wind sustained at 40 mph with gusts up to 80 mph. There were a few reports of gusts over 100 mph. The storm didn’t calm until after 4:00 a.m., with some calling it “a two-hour tornado” and “the worst we’ve ever had.” Two people in Jeff Davis County were reportedly killed by the storm.
The trauma did not end there, as 95% of the county lost power and gas for generators, and emergency vehicles quickly began to run short. A local emergency declaration was signed, and requests have been made to GEMA and FEMA. In their absence, many churches, businesses, organizations, and individuals gave away free food to those in need. The Baxley Police Department, Appling Sheriff’s Office, Road Department, Emergency Management, the City of Baxley, and Georgia Forestry are prioritizing the removal of trees that are not entangled with power lines. Georgia Power says Helene has been the most destructive hurricane in Georgia Power history and has 10,000 personnel working in the state to restore electricity, with help from Alabama Power and crews from other states arriving in Baxley.
There was another Hurricane Helene in 1958, though the Category 4 storm (930 mbar) never made landfall in the U.S.
Check out this week’s News-Banner for information about local events, government agencies, and other information about Appling after the storm.
